The kind folks at Afton shoes sent me over a pair of their KEEGAN model to test out for the past months. I have used them for four months now and am very happy with them. The design offers a nice contemporary twist and some good quality detailing on a familiar silhouette. They look super cool, basically like a nice pair of skate shoes so you can rock them off the bike too.

Grip wise they are as good as it gets. Your foot feels super planted on the pedals. Compared to the Giro jackets for example, they have a much softer rubber compound sole which really helps you stick to the pedals. The flip side to this is that they are not as durable, especially if you run some long pins and aggressive pedals like the DMR vaults which I use. I heard they have toughened up the compound for the latest production, but I have had a good 1000km out of mine and they are only just ready for replacing. They are nice and stiff, and have a soft insole which is great for absorbing impacts and reducing vibration.

What else? Well, they are the most comfortable bike shoes I have used so far which is saying a lot as I have been through 6 different shoe models in the last years! I would have liked the tongue to be slightly thicker to make them easier to slip on because I hate undoing my laces, but it’s not a deal breaker. Another cool feature is that the laces have some kind of coating on them which means they basically never undo themselves when you are out riding.